Bela Lugosi (Dr. Paul Carruthers) is bitter and out for vengeance against the owners of the perfume company for which he works. Stupidly, he settled for a cash payment for the company's first product, even though they offered him a percentage of the profits, which turned out to be millions of dollars. Members of the two families that own the company are now being killed off by attacks from a giant bat. A reporter Dave O'Brien (Johnny Layton) and a photographer, Donald Kerr ("One-Shot" McGuire) assigned to the case immediately - and for no apparent reason - find themselves in love relationships with one owner's daughter, Suzanne Kaaren (Mary Heath) and her maid Yolanda Donlan (Maxine). Typically, the only mystery is how the fiend will be trapped - this one is a no-brainer as the answer is obvious. Lugosi gives his typically fine, committed performance; Kaaren and Donlan are also okay. The rest of the cast, while not great, are better than is typical for these "B" movies.

Check it out: the editor McGinty is Arthur Q. Bryan, a.k.a Elmer Fudd. Listen to that voice!

This is quite frankly one of my favorite Bela Lugosi movies outside of his Vampire films from the 30s and 40s. He's particularly sinister in this one! Highly recommended!

Isn't that always the way in the '40s flicks?

I recall seeing this years ago, and I always thought they could have done a better job with the bat closeups, which always were out of focus. Small gripe. The movie falls well within the watchability range of all of the '40s horror flicks. Lugosi is his competent self, playing his role with conviction.

Production costs were controlled by using footage over (and over, in some cases, as in the bat flying scenes). Check out Lugosi as he prepares the first bat for zapping in the lab; then note the same sequence for the second bat: same footage. Entertaining flick in any event.

Bela Lugosi is making his bats grow larger than you ever thought possible

I have not much to add to my previous rewievers. Wonderful movie with a Bela Lugosi at the top of his abilities.

Did anyone notice that 'One-Shot' McGuire is played by Donald Kerr who was also Flash Gordon`s sidekick on his trip to Mars, also a newspaper man desperately hunting for a good story?

Bela Lugosi is wonderful in this film. It has been said that Lugosi took every role seriously, no matter how big or small. As the "kindly village doctor" Paul Carruthers, Lugosi delivers one entertaining scene after another from beginning to end. Whether recoiling from his own lotion ("I have a violent dislike for perfumes!") or lashing out at his employer ("Your brain is too feeble to conceive what I have accomplished in the realm of science!"), Lugosi is in top form.
Aside from the Heath and Morton families' bland reactions to being systematically wiped out, the other acting is believable enough. Dave O'Brien (of Refer Madness fame) plays a big city reporter sent to investigate the murders, and does a fine job of balancing the serious and the silly. The supporting characters--O'Brien's photographer sidekick, the sheriff, the newspaper editor, the french maid, and Professor Raines (an expert on "all animal life") are all amusing enough to help carry the story.
I really love this movie.

A mad scientist is bent on wiping out all the members of two families who he thinks did him wrong - and who else could that whacko scientist be but Bela Lugosi? His weapons of family destruction are after-shave lotion and huge bats he's created in a secret laboratory filled with more electric spark generators than you can shake an extension cord at. If this sounds like fun - it is!! Lugosi is great. The scenes where he confides his plans to his (stuffed) bat friends are priceless. The supporting cast is good enough, and the production values are better than average for a low-budget romp. This is an old horror quickie the whole family can enjoy, without worrying about the kids coming down with nightmares. At least I didn't, and neither did my kids when it was their turn. FOOTNOTES: There is a sequel made six year later, "Devil Bat's Daughter." but without Lugosi. There also is what could be considered an approximate remake, "The Flying Serpent," starring George Zucco. It is available here at the archive.

I enjoyed this movie very much. The story is silly to us now, but quite engaging and entertaining all the same.